827. BACON-WRAPPED HALIBUT with SEARED CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE and SMASHED PEAS

makes 4 servings


4 6-ounce halibut fillets
Salt and black pepper
8 center-cut bacon slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 10-ounce boxes frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, a generous handful
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream (eyeball it)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup white wine, a good-size glug
1/4 cup chicken stock, plus another 1/4 cup to reheat peas if necessary (eyeball it)
1/2 cup fresh basil, about 10 leaves, chopped or torn

Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper, going easy on the salt. Arrange two bacon slices side by side, overlapping slightly. Place one end of a halibut fillet on the edge of the bacon slices. Working in a spiral fashion, wrap and roll the bacon around the fish, pulling gently on the bacon to make both ends end up on the same side of the fillet. This will prevent the bacon from unraveling as it cooks. Reserve the fish in the fridge while you get the smashed peas working.

To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add one tablespoon of the olive oil, once around the pan, then one tablespoon of the butter and the onions. Saute the onions for two minutes, then add the frozen peas, and raise the heat a bit. Stir the peas to heat them through and allow the liquid to evaporate. When the peas are heated through, add half of the parsley, the lemon zest, half-and-half or cream, salt, and pepper to the pan and smash it all together using a potato masher or fork. Turn the heat off and cover the peas with a lid or some foil to keep them warm.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the bacon-wrapped halibut to the hot skillet, bacon-end side down first, and cook them for two minutes or three minutes on each of the four sides. Don't turn the fillets until the bacon is crispy looking on each side.

While the halibut cooks, start the seared cherry tomato sauce. Preheat a small skillet over high heat with the remaining tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil; once it is screaming hot, add the cherry tomatoes, season them with salt and pepper, and sear them for a minute without moving them. Turn the heat down to medium and shake the pan, add the garlic, and continue to cook for a minute. Next, add the white wine and cook until it has almost completely evaporated, then add a fourth cup of chicken stock. Bring the sauce to a bubble and remove it from the heat. Add the basil and the remaining tablespoon of butter and stir them to combine and melt the butter.

If the smashed peas need to be reheated, put the pot over medium heat, add a fourth cup of chicken stock, and stir until the peas are steaming.

To serve, spoon a portion of the smashed peas in the center of a dinner plate, arrange a bacon-wrapped halibut fillet on top of the peas, and top it with some of the seared cherry tomato sauce and the remaining parsley.


courtesy of: Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals: What to Keep on Hand, What to Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals by Rachael Ray, 2006